CityLife

Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan

Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan
Manchester Cathedral
July 14, 2011

The unlikely combination of fey Glaswegian pop melodies and laconic Americana, earned these collaborators a Mercury nomination for 2006 album Ballad of the Broken Seas.

Two further recordings down the line, former Belle and Sebastian singer Isobel Campbell and sometimes Queens of the Stone Age member Mark Lanegan continue to chart the flora and fauna of the US musical heartland, from swampy bluesgrass to melodic folk.

As the sun sets outside Manchester Cathedral, the stained glass windows cast a rainbow curtain on the stage.

The central nave has been cleared of its pews to make room for a crowd politely sipping drinks from plastic glasses.

After support from Canadian-via-Chorlton singer-songwriter Gabriel Minnikin, the gruff barstool rocker and sweet-voiced chanteuse are cheered on.

With his pale skin and esoteric tattoos, Lanegan sounds and looks like a Deep South Dracula, while blonde, bloused Campbell is the cello-playing cowgirl. So far, so True Blood.

But despite the contrast (more Belle et la Bette, than Belle and Sebastian), both harmonise well. Lanegan’s harsh growl - the product of countless bourbon-fuelled nights – is so full of character it should have its own Saturday morning cartoon.

Campbell’s soft, pleasant voice is the weaker of the two. However she plays to her strengths, with solo songs arranged to suit her range, and demonstrates her competency with an array of percussive instruments.

Opening numbers You Won’t Let Me Down Again is pure Kris Kristofferson, while the highlight of the night was Lanegan’s mesmerising vocal performance on melancholic ballad, The Circus is Leaving Town

One slight complaint was the use of pre-recorded strings during the summery, upbeat Honey Child, out-of-place during such an intimate performance.

Sadly the night was cut short towards the end of the concert by an unexplained fire alarm. Lanegan and Campbell made up for the lost few songs by posing for photographs and meeting fans as fire crews inspected the building.

Hopefully, future hitches won’t prevent further gigs at the venue, which added great character and atmosphere to an already special performance.

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